Vacuum cleaner



June 17, 1941- o. M. ANDERSON ETAL VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W m W 3 June 17, 1941. ANDERSON ETAL 7 2,245,953

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Dec. 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 050A}? MANDE/PJ'ON [V245 TALMQULST Patented 17, 1941 a UNITED STATES .PA'TEN T "OFFICE VACUUM ULEAN ER Oscar M. Anderson and Nils T..Alniquist, New Britain, onn.,.assignors to Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 9, 193a, sci-hi No. 244,830

Claims. (cuss-s1) The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to an improved vacuum cleaner oi the tank type.

The present invention aims to provide an improved vacuum cleaner which is constructed of a minimum number 01 parts, is economically manufactured and assembled. can be readily taken apart forinspection, cleaning or repair, is rugged in construction, and can withstand any rough(i usage to which it may be subjected.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved vacuum cleaner casing and a closure for holding the dust bag in the casing dust while removing the dust bag. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims; a

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vacuum cleaner, illustrating an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, illustrating an improved closure cap for the dust bag end of the vacuum cleaner casing;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the closure removed from the casing;

Fig. 4 is a detailed fragmentary sectional viewof the open end of the dust bag, illustrating a mounting and sealing ring for the dust bag;

Fig. 5 is an end view, partly in section, illustrating an improved construction for mounting the vacuum creating unit in the casing;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bushing form-- ing a part of the mounting construction shown in Fig. 5: and

the like; and clasps II on the casing for securing the cap ll.

, The casing preferably is substantially cylindrical adjacent the dust bag end and at this end is provided with an annular zone I! slightly reduced in diameter for receiving the cap and an "inwardly extending flange for mountin g'the dust bag,-as about to be described. a

"The dust bag has an open end provided with a mounting ring 23 (Fig. 4) comprising a radially .outwardly extending bead or enlargement 26 at" one end thereof, a groove 25 adjacent the bead,

to prevent the accumulation of dustat the exterior of the bag and and subsequent escape oi"v and a flange 26 at the other end bent outwardly at right angles with respect to the'ring. The

ring furtheris provided with a suitable rubber gasket 21 having the flange 26 embedded therein.

Flg. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a gasket for providing a seal between the vacuum creating end and dust bag end of the casing.

Referring to the drawings, and more particu, larly to Fig. 1, there is shown a vacuum cleaner of the portable tanl:v type comprising, generally, a casing ii; a vacuum creating unit at one end of the casing, including a motor l2, a rotary'suction pump or exhaust fan II, and an air fllter device IS; a cylindrical dust bag I mounted at the'other end of the casing; a cap ll serving as a closure for the dust bag end of the casing and as a coupling for attaching a vacuum hose or The dust bag preferably is attached to the mounting ring by inserting the outer or free edge 28 of the bag through the ring, then folding the same outwardly over the bead 24 and holding it in the groove 25 by suitable wires 29 tied about the ring (Fig. 4). v

The end closure orcap l1 comprises an outer member 30 and an inner member 3| secured to the outer member. The outer member is substantially dome-shaped and has at its lower end an outwardly extending flange 35 adapted to be engaged by the clasps l8, and a cylindrical skirt portion 36 extending downwardly from the flange and adapted to be telescoped over the reduced zone I! of the casing. At the apex of the dome- -shaped member there is provided an aperture 31 andan inwardly extending vacuum hose attach ing sleeve ll terminating in a radially inwardly facing flange 39 for attaching the inner cap member. i

The inner capmember 3|, has a substantially connecting sleeve 46 is utilized. The sleeve has,

adjacent one end thereof, an outwardly extending fold or shoulder 41 engaging one side of the flange 45 of the inner member, and has an end portion 49 extending through the apertures of the flanges 39 and 45 and bent radially outwardly and forced into engagement with the flange 39 of the tubular sleeve of the outer member.

The other end ll of the sleeve extends upwardly from the bottom of the inner cap member and serves to prevent dust from passing through the aperture 31 in the event that the casing is held in inverted position, as shown in Fig. 2, after the vacuum hose has been removed from the coupling sleeve.

When the inner and outer members are thus secured, the junction of the bottom and cylindrical side wall of the inner member is adapted to abut the inner wall of the outer dome shaped member at 50, and the cylindrical side wall 4| of the inner member cooperates with the inner side of the wall of the outer member to provide a suitable annular groove 5| for receiving the edge 28 of the bag, as about to be described.

When the vacuum cleaner is assembled, the bag is in the casing with one side of the gasket 21 of the mounting ring seated on the flange 20 at the end of the casing, and the skirt 36 of the outer cap member is telescoped over the reduced end zone IQ of the casing with its outwardly extending flange 35 fitting against the other side of the gasket. When the cap is attached in this manner, the edge 28iof the bag folded over the mounting ring extends into the groove 5| provided by the inner and outer cap members, and the free end of the side wall ll of the inner cap member is telescoped into the open end of the bag (Fig. 2). Preferably, the side wall 4| fits snugly into the open end of the bag to provide a secure seal adapted toprevent the passage of dust to the exterior of the mounting ring. This keeps the exterior of the ring and bag clean at all times and facilitates removing the cap and the bag from the casing without spilling any dust or dirt or getting dirty hands.

For example, when it is desired to empty the bag after using the vacuum cleaner, any dust which is in the inner cap member, as shown in Fig. 2, is directed into the bag by placing the casing in upright'position with the dust bag end thereof facing upwardly. The cap may then be removed, as shown in Fig. 3, with complete assurance that all the dust has been emptied into the bag; The bag may be lifted out of the casing by m'anually engaging the gasket 21, which also is clean and free from dust, and may be emptied in the usual manner.

The end of the casing wherein the vacuum creating unit is mounted has a circumferential shoulder 55 and a substantially conical portion or nose 56 terminating in a cylindrical flange 51 adapted to serve as a support for one end of the vacuum creating unit (Figs. 1 and 5).

The motor I! and the pump ll of the vacuum creating unit are assembled as a unit prior to being placed in the casing, preferably, by securing the motor to one end of the pump housing 58. The filter device l5 also is connected to form part of the unit by securing it to the other end of the pump housing and comprises a perforated shield 60 having a forwardly projecting flange 6| provided with a seat 62, and a filter disc 64 (Fig. 1) contained in suitable frame members 65 held together by an annular gasket 66 fitted against the seat 62.

The vacuum creating unit further is provided with suitable mounting means for supporting and securing it in the casing. At the forward end of the unit an annular rubber gasket 61 is secured intermediate the perforated shield 60 of the filter device and the pump housing 58 and has its outer periphery in engagement with the inner peripheral wall of the casing. The gasket 61 has a circumferential rim portion 68 of substantially the same diameter as the inside of the wall of the casing and also has a relatively thin peripheral flange 69 normally extending outwardly therefrom and being of greater diameter than the inside wall of the casing (Fig. 7). When the vacuum. creating unit is placed into the casing, the flange 69 is flexed into alignment with the inner surface of the casing (Fig. 1) and the gasket 61 thus provides a support for the forward end of the unit and creates a seal preventing air from leaking into the low pressure end of the casing whereby a relatively high vacuum is created. The other end of the vacuum creating unit carries a rubber bushing 10 (Figs. 5 and 6) provided with an annular groove H for mountinga spider, about to be described.

The spider comprises a plurality of strip members 15, for example, three, each having an arcuate portion 16 cooperating to provide a collar seated in the groove of the bushing. Each of the spider members has a radiallyextending leg 11 provided with a foot portion I9 engaging the inner periphery of the flange 51 at the end of the nose. The spider members are adapted to be secured to the nose or conical portion 56 by suitable removable screws extending through apertures 8| in the flange and threaded into the foot portions.

The nose is covered by a removably mounted cap attached to the casing by suitable belts or screws 86 extending through apertures 8'! in the shoulder and held in place by nuts 89. The cap has an inwardly extending tubular sleeve portion 90 which serves as a coupling for an air pressure hose and also as a support for mounting a tubular screen 92 for preventing ob- :Iects from being inserted into the motor unit. When the cap is secured to the casing, one end 'of the screen is telescoped over the tubular sleeve portion of the cap and the other end bears against the outwardly facing wall 94 of the bushing, whereby'the cap and bushing cooperate to hold it in place.

Upon removal of the cap, the electrical connections for the motor are readily accessible through the spaces between the spider legs and can-be inspected and repaired without taking the entire vacuum cleaner apart. Also, by mounting the vacuum creating unit in the simplifled manner noted above, the unit can be easily removed from the casing by unscrewing the three screws 80 securing the legs of the spider to the flange at the end of the nose 56. All the connecting means for securing the unit in the casing are in full view of the workmen assembling or taking the vacuum cleaner apart, thus facilitating assembly, inspection and repair.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It'is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to'cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

We claim as our invention: 1. In combination; a vacuum cleaner casing having an open end and provided with a. circum ferential radially inwardly extending flange, a

dust bag in said casing, having an open end, a mounting. ring for said dust bag including a gasket fitting against the said casing flange and a forwardly projecting portion having the dust bag mounted thereon, and a cap having an outer member provided with a skirt telescoped over the open end of said casing and. having a flange fitting against said gasket and compressing same against said casing flange to provide an air impervious seal between the cover member and the flange, said cap having an inner member provided with a side wall spaced inwardly from the inner wall of said outer cap member, said side Wall being telescoped into said mounting ring' and fitting snugly against the inner side walls of said dust bag at its open end to enclose the forwardly injecting portion of the mounting ring and the dust bag between the inner and outer cap members and maintain same dust free atall times.

2. In combination, a vacuum cleaner having a casing with an open end and provided with a circumferential inwardly extending flange, a sealing ring positioned against said flange, a dust bag extending rearwardly from said sealing member and a removable cap member sccurable to said casing and comprising inner and outer spaced apart members, said outer member telescoping over the casing and provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange engaging said sealing member and compressing same against said casing flange and said inner member telescoping within said bag to enclose the end thereof and maintain said bag and sealing member dust free at all times.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a. cylindrical casing having an open end, a sealing member positioned at said. open end of the casing, a dust bag exmember telescoping over said casing and said in.

ner member telescoping within said bag to completely enclose said sealing member and the forward end of the bag therebetween, said cover member being provided with a centrally arranged inlet tube, said tube extending through saidinner member and for a. substantial distance beyond same to provide a dust catching trough at i the forward end of said casing.

tending rearwardly from said-sealing member, a

closure for the open end of said casing compris- 5. In combination a vacuum cleaner having a a casing with an open end and provided with a circumferential inwardly extending flange, a sealing ring positioned against said flange, a dust bag extending rearwardly from said sealing member and a removable cap member securable to said casing and comprising inner and outer members, said outer member telescoping over the casing and provided with an inwardly extending circumferential flange engaging said sealing member and compressing same against said casing flange and said inner member inter-engag-v ing the end of said bag to completely enclose the sealing ring between the inner and outer cap members and bag and maintain same dust free at all times.

' OSCAR M. ANDERSON.

NIIS T. ALMQUIST. 

